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Salt Lake City Saltshakers
The Salt Lake City Saltshakers are an Reddit League Baseball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They play their home games downtown in The Salt Factory. Originally formed as the Syracuse Saltshakers and as one of the original 16 teams in the RLB, the team moved to Salt Lake for the 2039 season following the destruction of New York. The Saltshakers currently compete in the Southwest Division in the Western Conference. Nicknames for the Saltshakers include "Saltymen," "Saltybois," and sometimes just "Salt." Franchise History Formation of League and Golden Age (2014-2022) The Saltshakers kicked off the inaugural season of the RLB with a 91-71 regular season record. In a one-game tiebreaker against the Sacramento Goldsox, the Saltshakers lost and ended the season 91-72, barely missing the playoffs. After going 78-84 in 2015, the team then went on to have its most successful stretch in franchise history. On the backs of players like Ivan Fernandez, Kenny Craft, Toshikasu Motsuzuki, and future Hall-of-Famer Wilbur Connor, the Saltshakers won the newly-formed Eastern Division in 2016, and went on to win it again in 2017 and 2018, though found immediate exits from the playoffs all three years. After narrowly missing the playoffs in 2019, the team returned for another three consecutive playoff berths (and two more Eastern Division titles), but found similar playoff struggles. Despite six playoff appearances, the Saltshakers failed to appear in the Ring even once. The Dark Age (2023-2030) The team lost its footing in 2023, slipping from 89 wins and a division title in the year prior to only 72 wins. A brief glimmer of hope came in 2024 with an 84-win season that failed to make the playoffs, and that flicker of hope was quickly extinguished. The Saltshakers would set a high water mark of 71 wins in 2025 that they would not meet again over the subsequent five seasons. The team lost 100 games in three consecutive years during the time, including the franchise's worst seasons ever, consecutive 114 and 109 loss seasons in 2026 and 2027. Brief Resurgence (2031-2032) Following the signing of right fielder Bill Harrington, the Saltshakers once again found life thanks in part to the prime of middle infielder Craig Yarbrough's career and pitcher Ewald Burdzel. The team earned a wild card berth in 2031 and then won the Eastern Division in 2032, snapping the 8-year playoff drought. However, much like in their previous playoff berths, the Saltshakers failed to advance. Return to Irrelevancy (2033-2038) The Saltshakers began to unsuccessfully tread water, failing to put up a winning record but only losing 100 games once over the next 6 years. With little direction to the team, few star players emerged and little of note occurred. Move to Salt Lake City and First Rebuild (2039-2045) After the destruction of New York, the team took on new ownership, new management, and a new direction heading into the 2039 season. The team began to assemble a core of young, talented players, including Jose "Cage Grabbing Titties" Hernandez, Shane Bruce, Gunner Seymour, Roberto Roman, Shashenka Makagonov, and Hikaru Chikafuji. Despite the immense talent on the roster and the signing of ace pitcher Manny Manuel, the team struggled to find significant success thanks in part to a struggling bullpen. The Saltshakers only managed to make the playoffs once as a wild card contender in 2042, but the team continued to put up winning records in 2043 and 2044 in the tough Southwest division. They slipped further down the standings in 2045, only winning 77 games. Second Rebuild and First Championship (2046-Present) Following the step in the wrong direction, the previous GM was fired and new GM Cole Smith took the team into a second rebuild. After a dreadful 56-106 season following a complete tear down of the roster, the team began to trend in the right direction, winning 74 games in 2047, 73 in 2048, and then 86 in 2049 and 99 in 2050, earning the Saltshakers their first WC Southwest title. On the backs of Manuel Rivera, Nicholas Angel, Shashenka Makagonov, Abraham Blumpkin, mid-season acquisition Francisco Ordonez, and playoff MVP Jesus Lopez, the Saltshakers earned their first ever franchise ring. After a down year in 2051, the Saltshakers proceeded to win a franchise record 105 games in 2052 and earn a wild card berth in 2053, though only reached the WCDS and WCCS in the playoffs, respectively. The Saltshakers again won the WCSW pennant in 2054, putting up a new franchise record and RLB-best 106 wins, but lost closer and all-star Jose Gomez in the final week of the season. The Saltshakers made it to The Ring, only dropping 1 game on the way, but fell 4-1 to the Miami Manatees after two blown saves by replacement closer Tomatillo San Marzano. 2055 brought another wild card playoff berth for the Saltymen, but they were quickly swept by the Dodos in the WCDS. 'A Changing Tide (2056-Present)' Prior to the 2056 season, GM Cole Smith was arrested by the SEC and IRS on charges of insider trading and tax fraud, leaving the team without someone at the helm. Aceguy Smith was called in to take over, but with impromptu leadership and no clear direction after losing their infamously shady and secretive GM, the team faltered and missed the playoffs for the first time in 5 years. They rebounded the next year, and with team leadership once again gaining its footing, the Saltshakers earned another wild card berth in 2057. Notable Current and Former Players Hall of Famers Players and managers listed in '''bold' are depicted on their Hall of Fame plaques wearing a Saltshakers cap insignia.'' Retired Numbers * 25 - Wilbur Connor * 34 - Shashenka Makagonov Minor League Affiliations GM History Links Category:RLB Teams Category:Teams